Senex Energy Ltd., as operator of the PEL 111 joint venture in the South Australian Cooper basin, has cased and suspended the Snatcher-6 oil appraisal well after successfully intersecting over 10 m (33ft) of gross oil column, the company reported.

The Snatcher-6 appraisal well was drilled as a deviated well to intersect the mid-Birkhead formation reservoir 166 m (545 ft) northeast of its surface location. The well was spudded July 30 and reached a total measured depth of 1,885 m (6,184 ft) on Aug. 8.

Wire line logs confirmed the presence of a 10.5 m (34 ft) (vertical thickness) gross oil column in the Birkhead Formation over the interval 1,774.8 m (5,823 ft) o 1,785.8 m (5,860 ft) (vertical depth) with interpreted net oil pay of 5.2 m (16 ft) (vertical thickness).

Snatcher-6 is the first well of a continuing appraisal program of the Snatcher oil field as part of the exploration and appraisal campaign for the 2012/13 financial year on the western flank of the Cooper basin.
Ensign Rig 48 is now moving to the Tomcat-1 exploration well location in PEL 111.

Senex holds a 60% interest in PEL 111 and is the operator of the joint venture. The remaining 40% interest is held by Beach Energy Ltd.